Interstate 49 in Arkansas

This article is about the section of Interstate 49 in Arkansas. For the entire route, see Interstate 49.

Interstate 49 marker

Interstate 49

Open sections of I-49 in red as of June 2015
Route information
Existed: March 28, 2014 – present
Southern Arkansas segment
South end: I-49 at the Louisiana state line
Major
junctions:
North end: US 71 / US 59 in Texarkana
Northern Arkansas segment
South end: I-40 / US 71 in Alma
Major
junctions:
North end: US 71 near Bella Vista
Fort Smith Area segment
South end: US 71
North end: AR 22 / AR 255 in Barling, AR
Highway system
AR 48US 49

Interstate 49 (I-49) is an Interstate Highway in the state of Arkansas. There are two main sections of the highway, split by construction. The northern section begins at I-40 and at U.S. Highway 71 (US 71) in Alma, Arkansas and runs north to Bella Vista, Arkansas, where the freeway terminates, awaiting completion of the Bella Vista Bypass. The second, southern section starts at the Louisiana state line, then runs to Texarkana, at the Texas state line.

Route description

What is now I-49 north of the US 71 junction

The route begins at the Louisiana state line. Then, from the US 71 interchange in Doddridge, Arkansas, I-49 follows former Highway 549 up to I-30 in Texarkana, then heads west and passes the Texas state line by a few hundred feet.

The interstate begins again at exit 12 along I-40, one mile (1.6 km) west of Alma, Arkansas, continuing for over 65 miles (105 km) through the Crawford, Washington, and Benton counties. Just north of the Crawford-Washington county line is the Bobby Hopper Tunnel which is the only large highway tunnel in Arkansas. Notable cities along the route are Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville. From I-40 north to Fayetteville, I-49 runs roughly parallel to Highway 71. Just south of Fayetteville, I-49 combines with Highways 71 and 62, forming the major expressway through the northwest Arkansas metro area. I-49 ends where the expressway also ends, just north of Bentonville, where it becomes US 71 and the main street of Bella Vista, Bella Vista Way.

History

The first portion of I-49 was completed in the late 1990s and was opened to Mountainburg, Arkansas as AR 540. On January 8, 1999, the road was fully opened to traffic and was re-designated I-540 and also was designated as "John Paul Hammerschmidt Highway" in honor of a former U.S. Representative from Arkansas.[1] Having been planned since the early 1970s, it created a bypass for the older US Highway 71.

Two bridges carry I-49 over a valley in the Boston Mountains

The state of Arkansas originally asked AASHTO to allow the interstate segment between Fort Smith and Bentonville to be named I-49, to emphasize plans to extend the route from Shreveport, Louisiana through Arkansas to Kansas City, Missouri.[2] AASHTO refused, and the route opened in 1999 as a northern extension of I-540.[2] AHTD conducted a feasibility study of adding an interchange at Highway 162 in Van Buren in 1991, with the results adopted by the Arkansas State Highway Commission in 1992.[2] The Arkansas State Highway Commission (ASHC) studied a designation for I-540 between Mountainburg and Fayetteville as an Arkansas Scenic Byway in a meeting on November 17, 1998. One of the requirements of designation is "an active organization composed of various private and governmental groups, businesses, and agencies who are interested in preservation, enhancement, marketing, and development of the route’s scenic, cultural, recreational, and historic qualities,". The ASHC deemed that since the highway was a new location route, it did not have sufficient businesses to satisfy the requirement, so the ASHC deemed itself a partner organization and proceeded with a designation study.[3] The route was added to the scenic byway system the following year.[4]

As of June 2014, Interstate 540 is now Interstate 49 between I-40 in Alma and US-71B in Bentonville just south of the Missouri border.

The plan for I-49 became official on December 12, 2012. It was decided that it would follow Arkansas Highway 549 as the latter route was being eliminated. The north extension from I-30 to US 71 / US 59 was finished on May 15, 2013. The route to the Louisiana border was completed and opened on November 10, 2014.

Future

I-49 in Northwest Arkansas

Eventually, I-49 will cross the entire state. It will cross into Texas for about 5 to 10 miles (8.0 to 16.1 km) and then cross over a currently unbuilt bridge across the Red River into Arkansas. It will eventually reach De Queen, Arkansas in the near future. It will then run near the western border of the state from De Queen to Fort Smith. A bypass of Bella Vista will connect the longest stretch of I-49 to Arkansas Highway 549 as well as to the completed road in Missouri.

Note

Arkansas 549 between US-71 in Fort Smith and AR-22/AR-255 in Barling has closures due to exercise training alerts announced on 40/29 News and from AHTD news release.

Exit list

StateCountyLocationmikmExit[5][6]DestinationsNotes
ArkansasMiller 0.000.00 I-49 south ShreveportLouisiana state line
 4.326.954 US 71 Doddridge
 7.0111.286 CR 197
 16.4626.4916 US 71 Fouke
 18.1729.2418North Fouke Road
Ferguson23.7738.2524 CR 10 Ferguson
 26.3542.4126 AR 237
Texarkana28.8746.4629A US 71 TexarkanaSigned as exit 29 southbound
29.4947.4629B To US 59 (via AR 151 south) Dallas, HoustonNo exit number southbound
31 AR 196 (Genoa Road)
32 US 82 (9th Street) / 19th Street
US 67 Texarkana, AirportFormer interchange
35Four States Fair Parkway / Arkansas BoulevardFormer AR 245 north
37 I-30 Texarkana, Dallas, Hope, Little RockSigned as exits 37A (east) and 37B (west); I-30 exit 3
 41Sanderson Lane
 42 US 71 (US 59) Texarkana, Ashdown, Fort SmithTemporary north end; exit number not signed
TexasBowie 44 I-369 south HoustonProposed
 46CR 2320 (Hush Puppy Road)Proposed
Red RiverBridge over Texas-Arkansas line
ArkansasLittle River 51 CR 23Proposed
 55 AR 32B AshdownProposed
 57 AR 108Proposed
Wilton60 AR 234 WiltonProposed
Sevier 84 US 59 / US 70 / US 71 / US 371 De QueenProposed
 93 CR 41 (Tower Road) GillhamProposed
PolkGrannis98 CR 3 GrannisProposed
 102 US 278 WickesProposed
 108 AR 246 VandervoortProposed
 121MenaProposed
 126 AR 88 MenaProposed
 132 CR 70Proposed
Scott 143 US 71 / US 270Proposed
 157 AR 80 WaldronProposed
 160 AR 28Proposed
 165 AR 378Proposed
Mansfield171 US 71 MansfieldProposed
Sebastian 175 US 71 HuntingtonProposed
 183 AR 10 GreenwoodProposed
 187 US 71 Fort SmithOpened on July 14, 2015;[7] Temporary south end of AR 549
Fort Smith190Massard RoadOpened on July 14, 2015[7]
191Roberts BoulevardOpened on July 14, 2015[7]
Barling193 AR 22 (Fort St) BarlingOpened on July 14, 2015;[7] Temporary north end of AR 549
Arkansas RiverBridge
Crawford 196 To AR 59 / Gun Club RoadProposed
 202Clear Creek Road KiblerProposed
 204 AR 162 AlmaProposed
 19.2330.9520 I-40 (US 71) Van Buren, Fort Smith, Alma, Little RockTemporary southern end; I-40 exit 12
Alma20.3132.6921Collum Lane
 23.6738.0924 AR 282 Rudy
 29.1046.8329 AR 282 Mountainburg
 33.5353.9634 AR 282 Chester
Washington 41.14–
41.44
66.21–
66.69
Bobby Hopper Tunnel
 44.9972.4045 AR 74 Winslow
West Fork52.7884.9453 AR 170 West Fork
Greenland57.8893.1558Greenland
Fayetteville60.5097.3760 AR 112 (Razorback Road) / AR 265 (Cato Springs Road)
61.9899.7561 US 71 south FayettevilleSouthern end of US 71 concurrency; southbound exit and northbound entrance
61.9899.7562 US 62 west / AR 180 east (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard / AR 16 east)Southern end of US 62 / AR 16 concurrency
63.79102.6664 AR 16 west / AR 112S east (Wedington Drive)Northern end of AR 16 concurrency
65Porter Road
66.01106.2366 AR 112 (Garland Avenue) University of Arkansas
66.48106.9967 US 71B Fayetteville Business District
Johnson68.93110.9369Johnson Mill Boulevard
Springdale70Don Tyson ParkwayOpened July 7, 2014[8]
71.50115.0772 US 412 (Sunset Avenue)
72.91117.3473Elm Springs Road
Benton 76Wagon Wheel Road
 77 US 412 (Springdale Northern Bypass)Construction started on April 15, 2015
Lowell78 AR 264 (West Monroe Avenue) Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport
Rogers81Pleasant Grove Road
82Promenade Boulevard/West Pauline Whittaker Parkway
82-83South Belleview Roadproposed
83Pinnacle Hills Parkway/West New Hope Road
RogersBentonville85 US 71B / AR 12 west (Southeast Walton Boulevard / West Walnut Street) AirportSouthern end of AR 12 concurrency
Bentonville86 US 62 east / AR 12 east / AR 102 west (Southeast 14th Street / Hudson Road)Northern end of US 62 / AR 12 concurrency
878th StreetProposed
88 AR 72 east (Central Avenue)
93 US 71B south (North Walton Boulevard)Temporary northern end; northbound continuation to County Road 34/Rocky Dell Hollow Road scheduled to open in 2016 or 2018
Peach Orchard RoadConstruction started on June 12, 2015;[9] scheduled to open in 2016 or 2018
Gap in route
 Pumpkin Hollow RoadConstruction started on June 12, 2015;[10] scheduled to open in 2016 or 2018
Gap in route
 284 AR 72Temporary southern end of AR 549; exit number not signed; southbound exit and northbound entrance; southbound continuation to Bentonville scheduled to open in 2016 or 2018
 287 AR 72Former temporary northern end; exit number not signed
 289 CR 34 (Rocky Dell Hollow Road)Temporary northern end of AR 549; exit number not signed; northbound exit and southbound entrance
Gap in route
  I-49 north JoplinMissouri state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. Gerhardt, Kara (January 8, 1999). "Secretary Slater Joins in Dedication of Final Segment of Arkansas’ I-540" (Press release). United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 2, 2009 via The Crittenden Automotive Library.
  2. 1 2 3 Arkansas State Highway Commission (January 22, 1991). "Minutes of the Meeting" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. pp. 199, 868. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  3. Arkansas State Highway Commission (November 17, 1998). "Minutes of the Meeting" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. p. 1205. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  4. Arkansas State Highway Commission (November 17, 1999). "Minutes of the Meeting" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. p. 1411. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  5. Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department Planning and Research Division (2014). State Highway Map (Map) (2014–15 ed.). Little Rock: Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. §§ A2–D2, H2–J2.
  6. Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (n.d.). Map of Proposed I-49 (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. Sheets 1, 2, and 3 (PDF). Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Johnson, Kelly (July 14, 2015). "New Section of I-49 Opened". Fort Smith, AR: KHBS-TV. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  8. Caraway, Steve (July 3, 2014). "Springdale's Tyson Interchange to Open Month Early: Work Will Create Easy Access to Ballpark Development Area". Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  9. "I-49 Work to Shut Lanes over 2 Nights". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Little Rock.
  10. "Work to shut I-49, Punkin Hollow lanes in Benton County". Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

Interstate 49
Previous state:
Louisiana
Arkansas Next state:
Texas
Previous state:
Texas
Next state:
Missouri
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